Month: December 2009

After finding the perfect online casino site and getting your money through the cashier’s window, how do you play your bankroll? Unlike Vegas, where all one has to do is plunk a pile of cash down on a high limit table, online casinos generally don’t allow big bets right away. With online casinos, the customer has to build some rapport with the website before bringing out the big guns. Much of the hesitancy on the part of casinos is due to a few important security factors.

First off, casinos don’t want to get ripped off. If someone has stolen a credit card, and decided to deposit $5000 at an online casino, most times casino staff will carefully review the customer before allowing such a large first deposit. Eventually, the original owner of the credit card will cancel it, and as a result, the casino will be out any winnings the fraudulent customer made on his/her $5000 deposit. Think about it: play a few $500 hands of blackjack on someone else’s dime, and you might just come out ahead of the house. As a result, rather than risk financial ruin, online casinos tend to reign in large first depositors right away.

Secondly, believe it or not, online casinos do have ethical and moral concerns when it comes to accepting customers that potentially have a gambling problem. Desperate problem gamblers often steal money, write bad checks, or make fraudulent transactions. More importantly, however, most online casinos would rather not profit from someone who is losing their house or child’s college fund. Casinos will frequently establish what are known as “velocity limits”, which essentially put a timer on the frequency of the gambler’s deposits. If the customer starts escalating to large deposits after substantial losses, most casinos will suspend the customer’s account for a complete review. Further, some casinos set maximum deposit limit per week, which is generally an absolute rule for all players, regardless of their financial wherewithal.

Above all else, it’s about your relationship with the casino. Let’s say you’ve been a regular customer at a casino for 2 or 3 weeks, and have deposited $250 per week. By week 4, the casino can feel reasonably confident that you are not going to chargeback your deposits, commit fraud, or exceed deposit velocity limits. This means the rapport between client and casino begins coalesce. At this stage, most customers will get a VIP casino host, faster payouts, or higher deposit limits. More importantly, they can ask for special private casino tables with higher stakes.

If a casino is hesitant about letting you deposit larger sums of money, remind them of your loyalty to their business, and that you have sufficient funds to make such deposits. The best way to demonstrate your intentions is to get an e-wallet account, such as Ewalletxpress, UseMyWallet, Moneybookers, Click2Pay, or Neteller, and make a deposit through these intermediary services. Casinos would rather take an e-wallet deposit over a direct credit card deposit, because money from e-wallets is generally “safer” since the e-wallet has cleared the transaction before the customer is allowed to move it over to the casino. Again, trust and the “pay to play” factor is key: excellent customers get excellent privileges.

Once you’ve put your money where your mouth is, call the casino and ask for higher table limits on your favorite games. Slots players can ask higher limit regular slots, although most times this doesn’t apply to progressive slot games. Now, the key is make a substantial deposit and then play in the casino.

Demonstrating that you actually have the money to make big deposits is key. The following is a tiered list of deposits that most VIP players tend to make. Keep in mind that these levels are for re-depositing, not the first deposit. Most of the time, people initially deposit $100 to play through the casino bonus and to test the waters.

$1000 USD: Level 1 Player or “VIP” – If you can pony up $1000 to play games at your favorite online casinos in a single deposit, you’re well on your way to getting higher limit action. Remember, make larger deposits after you’ve been at the casino for a few weeks, so that you don’t have to worry about bonus schemes and other promotions designed to make winning money nearly impossible.

$2500 USD: Level 2 Player or “VIP+” – A $2500 deposit is serious business. You’re probably a seasoned gambler that has played in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and knows the ins and outs of every casino game. Most likely, a $2500 deposit means you’re going to play table games, since these are the most advantageous to skilled players.

$5000 USD: Level 3 Player or “VVIP” – This is where the elite players start to stand out from the rest of the crowd. If you’ve got $5000 USD available to you for playing casino games, you’re probably a well to do businessman, doctor, lawyer, or other high level professional. $5000 USD is hard to come by for most people, so you’ll find that online casinos will start to treat you like royalty (and they should for that amount of money 🙂 ).

$7500 USD: Level 4 Player or “VVIP+” – At this level, you’re almost in the sky in terms of deposit levels. Your VIP casino host will probably call you and arrange complimentary gifts, travel, or other special promotions. You’ll most definitely be allowed to play at high stakes tables, with maximum bets over $1000 USD. This is serious money for serious gambling, and don’t let your casino support representative forget the fact that you mean business.

$10,000 USD: Level 5 Player or “VVVIP” – Did you see all the V’s in this level’s code designation? In no uncertain terms, you’re in the stratosphere at $10,000 a deposit. If you’re not getting bottles of champagne delivered to your home, call the online casino immediately and demand some sort of comp for your action. Table limits at this level exceed $5000 USD.

$20,000 USD or More: Level 6 Player or “VVVIP ELITE” – If you can put $20,000 in your account at the click of a mouse, you’re ABOVE the stratosphere in terms of casino players: you are simply exceedingly elite, rare, and profound. There are really no other words to describe the phenomena. People with this kind of discretionary income are VERY well off, and gamble $20,000 USD like a regular person might play $1000 USD. Table limits will exceed $10,000 USD, and your casino host will be at your beck and call for ANYTHING you need. Don’t be surprised if a limo pulls up outside your house for a trip to an exclusive resort or hotel. VVVIP ELITE players are epic: the highest high rollers that love action.

Where do you fall on this scale? If you’re a regular Joe or Jane who likes to play $100 per week on slots or roulette, don’t worry, the casino will still value your business. The doors to online casinos are open for ALL players, regardless of how much they can deposit. Most importantly, online casinos prefer loyal depositors that tell friends and family about the casino site, thereby spreading the word that it’s a safe place to play. There’s no price on free marketing and PR.

As the year (and decade) slowly comes to a close, it’s time to take nominations for JaxCasinos.com’s Best Online Casino 2009. This is our award’s first year, so for the moment it’s a casual nomination and award process, among those who visit this site and gamble regularly online. To submit a nomination, send an email to: Jax@JaxCasinos.com. You can pick 3 casinos. After we’ve tallied up the numbers, the top 3 nominees will be put up to vote in 2 weeks. The winner receives recognition from JaxCasinos.com :).

Our Favorite Casinos of 2009

We offer over 20 different casino brands on our website, featuring most all major software platforms and customer demographics. We’ve had 12 months to see which casinos are good to players, which casinos payout on time, and which casino affiliate programs are the most responsive and professional. Most importantly, we’ve gathered information about the quality of customer service each casino offers. The following are our tip picks for 2009:

USA Players Accepted Casinos

Rushmore Casino – RTG Software. Rushmore has been a favorite for the past 2 years, and is especially friendly to VIP players. Deposits and Payouts are carefree and handled professionally.

DaVinci’s Gold Casino – Rival Gaming Software. With a highly original look and feel, Da Vinci’s Gold casino has stood out as an industry leader this year, offering easy deposit options, timely payouts, and a great selection of games.

Aladdin’s Gold Casino – RTG Software. Sporting a complete makeover, Aladdin’s Gold Casino is a popular brand of the Club World Casino group, known the world over for fairness, a high level of integrity, and a great all around online gaming experience.

European/International Players Accepted Casinos

*Note: The 3 Casinos listed above are top contenders in this category, since they welcome international players in addition to catering to the USA gaming market.

Lucky Nugget Casino – MicroGaming Software. The Lucky Nugget has been operating successfully for over 10 years, exciting players with its first rate MicroGaming Software, the industry gold standard. We like this site for our International Players, because the Lucky Nugget has tons of great deposit options and very timely payouts.

Blackjack Ballroom Casino – MicroGaming Software. The flagship brand of the Casino Rewards group, Blackjack Ballroom is a high roller’s paradise. As its namesake suggests, Blackjack Ballroom is a top destination for serious blackjack players, who appreciate this casino’s wealth of deposit options and friendly customer service. VIP player support is outstanding.

Zodiac Casino – MicroGaming Software. Another contender from the Casino Rewards group, the Zodiac Casino offers an offbeat appearance, that is very inviting and fun for those interested the wonders and charms of astrology. Theme aside, this casino has a huge selection of games, featuring great progressive slots, regular slots, and solid table games.

Think over your nominees carefully, and let us know who YOU think should be included in this list. To submit a nomination, send an email to: Jax@JaxCasinos.comThen, don’t forget to Vote!